


about that date

by ashotoflife



Category: SKAM Austin
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 10:53:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19061179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashotoflife/pseuds/ashotoflife
Summary: another 'missing scene'- Grace telling Daniel she has a boyfriend at the start of the school year





	about that date

Grace rubbed her hand tiredly over her face and stifled a yawn as she looked down at her list of things to do. It was only the second week of school and she already felt overwhelmed by everything there was to get done. She had to sign up for the SATs, meet with her counselor about prospective colleges, study for her quiz in APUSH, call her parents… That one she was probably looking forward to the least but she hadn’t spoken to them since before school started so a phone call was overdue. All things considered, her summer in Dallas with them was fine, at least that’s what she told her friends when they asked. She found ways to keep herself busy and out of the house, got through uncomfortable “family” dinners, and, mostly, spent her hours scrolling through her friends’ social medias wishing she was with them. But if she was being honest with herself being back here in Austin felt like a huge weight had lifted from her shoulders, even with the added stress of school and college prep. At least when she is living with Eve she never has to blast her iPod on full volume to drown out the sounds of people screaming at eachother.

 

**_BRING_ **

 

Grace hadn’t realized she was starting to nod off until the sound of the bell jolted her awake and back to the present where everyone around her had started shuffling around, heading out of homeroom for first period. Grace heaved a sigh as she reached down to shove her planner back into her backpack.

“Fuck” Grace muttered softly realizing she had forgotten to grab her binder for pre-calc which she had first. She hurried out of homeroom and sped walk to her locker which, fortunately, wasn’t that far off course. However, Grace still hadn’t managed to remember her new combination and, as consequence, was definitely going to be late for class. She yanked her locker open after retrieving the combination from her planner and reached for her binder and textbook too figuring she might as well bring it just in case. With a satisfying clang, Grace swung her locker door shut and spun around where she suddenly found herself face to face with the one person she’d been successfully avoiding the past few weeks despite them having several classes together (don’t even get her started on how the hell that had happened).

“Daniel!” Grace let out in surprise, not used to being caught off guard like this even though he certainly had a knack for appearing when she least expected him. She cringed at her own reaction. _Donald, I should’ve said Donald._ Daniel simply smirked in his oh so typical fuckboy way and Grace’s surprise at seeing him quickly morphed into a mask of offstandish disdain. His brown hair was in its typical state of artful disarray and he was still sporting a summer tan which, up close, was a lot more distracting than it had been from across the classroom. Grace crossed her arms in front of her chest as if to protect herself against what? She wasn’t sure.

“The ever punctual Grace Olsen. You wouldn’t be running late to class now, would you?” He crooned. His slight southern drawl coloring his disarmingly deep voice.

“Well if I am then so are you” Grace shot back arching a sculpted brow.  

“I thought I might accompany you. I saw you struggling over here and figured it would be downright impolite not to offer my services to a damsel in distress” Daniel teased with a knowing glint in his eye, completely prepared for whatever harsh rebuttal was sure to come his way. Grace scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“While I appreciate your chauvinistic bullshit, the only distress I’m in is having to continue this conversation with you for a second longer” Grace replied, even as a small part of her lent forward into the banter, anticipating his volley back.

“If a second causes you so much distress, I can’t imagine what state you’re going to be in after spending a whole evening with me” Daniel grinned as if he found her displeasure with him simply amusing. He stepped closer into her personal space and Grace stood her ground. Getting too close for comfort was sort of how this whole relationship or whatever you’d call it began for them. “So, I was thinking this Saturday, unless you wouldn’t mind doing something after Friday’s game?” He cocked his head and stepped ever so slightly closer into her and Grace tilted her chin up to maintain eye contact.

“Don’t you guys always throw some dumb party or another after Friday games?” Grace rose her eyebrows.

“Yeah,” Daniel’s eyes shone as he hesitated for a moment with a self-satisfied smirk slipping into place just like the one he had right before he said to her ‘freakin’ hell you’re gorgeous.’ Not that Grace thought about that much or anything. It had only been playing on a constant loop in her head all summer long. She’d often caught herself standing in front of the mirror searching for whatever it was he seemed to see in her, before quickly reprimanding herself with the reminder that the only thing he saw in her was a girl who didn’t fall into bed easily-  ‘a challenge.’

“but I’d much rather spend the night with you” he finished and for the first time since approaching her, Daniel’s smile seemed utterly and captivatingly sincere, not a trace of taunting, teasing or malice to be seen. But Grace wasn’t having any of it.

“You won’t be _spending_ the night with me _ever_ ” Grace said pointedly, with a sharp glare. Daniel’s smile dropped and he rolled his eyes at her implication.

“That wasn’t what I meant Grace.” Her name rolled off the tongue with ease like he said it all the time and for some inexplicable reason she felt herself soften slightly at the sound. “All I meant was” Daniel paused, stepped even closer to, close enough that she could feel his warm breath brush against her cheeks. He looked her directly in the eye and she found it near impossible to look away. “All I meant was that after the game, I’d much rather spend a few hours with you, getting something to eat, talking about your day, your interests, your thoughts…” he reached up and tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and Grace’s breath hitched but she remained firmly in place. “Before driving you back home and walking you up to the front door and saying good night. So, how about it?” Grace looked up at him with a slightly stunned expression, caught off guard by the sincerity, caught off guard by her own, sudden wild urge to say _yes_.

“I-” But before she could put her now jumbled thoughts into a coherent string of words, her phone made a noise indicating an incoming text message. Grace blinked in surprise and Daniel took a small step back as she grabbed it from her bag. It was from Kelsey.

 

_We’re still on for mani pedis this fri right? After this week I srsly need some tlc_

 

And just like that it was as if a dam had broken and guilt crashed over Grace in a wave. _Kelsey. How could she have forgotten Kelsey?_ Because for a moment Grace had. She had forgotten how all this started. Agreeing to a date with Daniel was about helping Kelsey but for a few minutes there with Daniel staring her down, Kelsey had completely left her mind and all she could think about was Daniel- talking to him, arguing with him, going on this date with him. But it was Kelsey who liked Daniel. Kelsey who _had_ _sex_ with Daniel. Kelsey, her friend, who had been completely heartbroken over Daniel. And here Grace was nearly about to agree to the one thing that, if Kelsey ever found out, would surely crush her. So, thinking on her feet, Grace looked back at up at Daniel who was still standing there gazing at her expectantly.

“I, um, I can’t Friday” Grace swallowed, looking away before tacking on “Or any day. Because I, uh, I have a boyfriend.” Grace looked up at him again to gauge his reaction and, to her surprise, he didn’t looked irritated or angry or even like this was just some new obstacle in his way to the prize. He looked, well, he looked crestfallen. And for a fleeting moment Grace wanted to take it back, wipe the disappointment from his face.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, um, my ex. We reunited over the summer.” Grace tried to explain, forcing a smile but having trouble maintaining it. Daniel raised his eyebrows in a quick gesture of acknowledgement before looking away from her and forcing himself to take another step back.

“Okay then.” He heaved his backpack further up his shoulder. “Well, I guess I’ll um-” Daniel being unsure of what to say was new for Grace. Even when he was 'speechless' he seemed to always have his footing. He’d never really looked like this, like he was trying to stand on shaky ground. “I guess I’ll see you in class Grace.” Her name. There it was again. But this time time it felt sharp, like a knife. Daniel turned from her and headed toward their pre-calc class while Grace stared after him, watching his retreating form, feeling weirdly and disconcertingly empty. Getting Daniel off her case with the boyfriend excuse was much more effective than she had anticipated. But for some reason, she kind of wished it wasn’t. _So much for him being up for a challenge._ But Grace quickly shook her head trying to erase such a stupid thought. She shut her eyes and tried to pull in a shallow breath but it was as if loneliness was leaning against her windpipe. A feeling she thought she’d left behind in Dallas.

 

**_BRING_ **

 

_Fuck._

And Grace rushed off to her pre-calc class already bracing herself for the detention she would surely get for her tardiness.

**Author's Note:**

> I miss them sooo much already! There aren't a whole lot of writers for them (otherwise I wouldn't be writing for them cuz I don't like writing fics lol, I much prefer reading them) so I was thinking I would keep the love going. I have an idea to try writing a fic showing the progression of their relationship from the perspectives of other characters (i.e. Megan or maybe even Tyler) but I'm also entertaining the idea of writing a long, multi chapter work basically redoing the season (or at least the first half) but in the fall (and changing some plot elements). Former cheerleader here so I'm a real sucker for a good high school football season story. Let me know if you would be interested in reading :) Also, it's been quite a while since I've done any creative writing so constructive feedback is more than welcome! Oh and I apologize for any grammatical/orthographical errors- I'll comb back thru later to see if I missed any


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